Mutated Tao

Li Huowang had returned from the Righteous Monastery. He was back in his simple bedroom, looking at his reflection.

He saw seven eyeballs on his forehead, which seemed to have a consciousness of their own as they stared straight back at Li Huowang.

These were seven secrets, and Li Huowang understood their value.

One eyeball alone had been able to determine the location of the head of the Sitting Oblivion Dao, Shai Zi. If Li Huowang wanted, he could use these seven secrets to uncover any secret in the world.

At this moment, however, Li Huowang’s primary concern was how Xuan Pin had helped the other Simings in Baiyu Capital.

Although the problem had been resolved, Li Huowang was still worried about the origins of this thing.

Li Huowang’s expression became solemn when he recalled his past experiences.

That being had casually given him such a precious thing, and the only thing Li Huowang understood about the being was its hair-like texture.

At this moment, his memories had disappeared. He could only understand what had happened before by relying on the notes he had written when he still had his memories.

Even though Li Huowang wrote the notes himself, they still felt unfamiliar to him when he read them.

“The Siming who controls all secrets…?” Based on his personal experience, this Siming could easily uncover or conceal all secrets.

Anything that was concealed could become a secret, including a period of time, an object, or even an entire timeline different from his own!

Unlike Ji Zai and Ba-Hui, this unnamed Siming was obviously very mysterious and powerful.

The only thing that reassured him slightly was that this Siming didn’t seem to be aligned with the Dharma Sect, at least for now.

Still, if we haven’t defeated the Dharma Sect with such a powerful Siming as an ally, just how strong is the other side? Li Huowang thought silently.

Well, let’s do our best and leave the rest to fate. Li Huowang shook his head and stared intently at his reflection.

“Back then, how did Xuan Pin help the Simings?”

He saw the seven eyeballs close slowly on the forehead of his reflection.

The next moment, Li Huowang’s vision suddenly blurred. Various images quickly flashed before his eyes.

He clutched his head in pain as memories of what Xuan Pin had done slowly emerged in his mind. It seemed like a fragment of a past recollection.

“Chief, everything is ready.” Xuan Pin heard the response from the imperial guard and put down the pen in his hand. He turned slowly and walked out of the house, heading to a huge altar stacked with torches at the edge.

In the center of the altar were the others who had died with Xuan Pin.

At the center of the circular altar stood a massive bronze tree, towering dozens of meters high.

Xuan Pin stopped under the tree and made various gestures with his six hands. Then, he suddenly halted.

“What’s wrong?” asked Huangfu Tiangang, the Imperial Preceptor of the Liang Kingdom. He was barefoot and holding his Constellation Sword while preparing to perform a ritual.

Xuan Pin shook his head. “Someone is here.”

“Someone?” Huangfu Tiangang’s face immediately darkened. He pulled out a Daoist bell and shook it violently, causing the sound to echo around the altar.

When the sound of the bell ceased, Huangfu Tiangang looked back at Xuan Pin in confusion. “Where’s the person? I set up a great formation outside. Not even a bug should be able to get in. It’s impossible for someone to be here.”

Xuan Pin didn’t explain further. He seemed to notice Li Huowang’s gaze and looked in the direction of his line of sight through the hole in his red Daoist robe. “I don’t know who you are, nor do I know why you need the Dragon-Slaying Immortal-Killing Array.

“But since you need to learn it, the world must be in a very dire situation. I will teach you now, so pay attention.

“To begin the array, one must step on the Gang star that transcends the three realms. This step is the foundation of the Yu step. By retracing the steps, nothing is impossible. The steps need not be complex, but the heart must connect with the nine stars. The feet must inspire the nine spirits, and the body must embody the nine energies, thus achieving clarity.”

As he spoke, Xuan Pin began to demonstrate to Li Huowang. “For men, the left foot goes first. For women, the right hand leads. The left hand follows, with the right hand forming the Taiyi gesture. The left hand follows again, with the right hand forming the Siming gesture for longevity. The left hand follows the right hand to form the Tianguan gesture.”

As Xuan Pin explained, his three pairs of hands emerged from his Daoist robes and coordinated to form various gestures.

“Step into the Yang stance and recite with me: ꂳꃨꄅꄟꄻꅖꅮꆂꊂꊖꊸꋚꋶꌒꌳꍈꍣꍽꎖꄬꅇꅞꎽꏗꏳꐏꐪꑁꑜ”

The incantation from Xuan Pin’s mouth was incredibly cryptic, but Li Huowang immediately understood its meaning. Among the positions of the twenty-eight constellations, the Purple Star is the golden beam that supports the jade column.

As Xuan Pin continued step by step, the so-called Dragon-Slaying Immortal-Killing Array became imprinted into Li Huowang’s mind.

The Imperial Preceptor raised the Constellation Sword and pointed it forcefully at the sky. Two Dragon Veins flew over from afar, coiling around the gigantic bronze tree. One of them was Gao Zhijian.

As the two Dragon Veins settled on the bronze tree, the tree brightened significantly, shifting from its original color to a shade of gold.

The clouds in the sky dispersed and revealed stars. Xuan Pin and those beside him continued to chant and perform rituals as the sound of dragon roars echoed in the air. The Dragon Veins connected with the Earth Veins, altering the landscape and Feng Shui across the world. The stars moved aside and revealed a patch of pitch-black sky.

Li Huowang finally understood why this secret required seven secrets to exchange. In that extreme darkness, he saw a massive jade door—the Ox Tail Gate.

A vast, multi-eyed creature was looking down through the Ox Tail Gate.

As Xuan Pin chanted and performed rituals, the Imperial Preceptor raised the Constellation Sword and lifted three Nine-Dragons Light-Emitting Talismans.

“With bare feet, urgently tread the Heavenly Gate. The energy of the Yin demons invades the south while the Nine Dragons rise and return the sun’s rays. The sky clears as brilliance spreads across the vast universe. The evil Yin spirits perish, their shadows scattered. Om, Black Wheel Deity, heavenly light piercing the sun, obey the command urgently!”

The gold talismans on the Imperial Preceptor’s sword ignited instantly as dragon roars echoed in the air. Golden dragon bodies rapidly climbed from the bronze tree onto everyone on the altar.

Immediately, dragon scales and horns began to appear on everyone. They tore through their clothes and exposed deformed dragon scales as dragon qi emanated from them.

Conversely, the Dragon Veins on the bronze tree weakened, and numerous withered corpses hung all over the bronze tree.